Making simulated woven fabric



June 13, A. w` HANSON MAKING SIMLA'TED WOVEN FABRIC Filed March-11, 1942 IN VEN TOR. /o/en W. /anson 4 770,@ mi K5 Patented June 13, 1944 uNrris'zD STATES PATENT oFF-ica 2,351,039

MAKING SIMULATED WOVEN FABRIC Alden W. Hanson, Midland, Mich.. assigner to The .Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a'corporatlon of Michigan Appucati' Maren 11, 1942, sei-a1 No. 434,164

` z claims. (ci. zs-m This invention relates toan improved method of producing a simulated woven fabric.

It is old in the art-to produce woven fabric by e meansof looms wherein a single filament called the woof or iiller carried by a shuttle traverses a series of warp filaments going over and under alternate single warp laments or alternate pairs of warp filaments, each traverse ofthe width'of f the fabric by the shuttle being known as a pick."v This method of producing woven fabric is relatively slow, since the 4shuttle must traverse the entire width of the fabric to increase ,the

fabric length'by amroximately theywidth of a single filament. l Y

It is, therefore, an object of ther-present invention to provide a method of producing fabric indistinguishable lfrom that made by weaving at a faster rate and more economically than can be produced by weaving.

The simulated woven fabric is produced by braiding filamentsto make a tube on a standard tube braiding machine and thereafter slitting the tube in a manner to be more 'fully described by pressing theedges of the fabric .between heated plates or rolls in such a manner as to cause the loose ends of the filaments to fuse orl stick together under the combined effect of heat and pressure. Other suitable means may be employedto bind the loose ends of the filaments, according to the particularmaterialfrom which the ufabric is made. v

It is apparent that thefilamentsv which arel braided to form fabric bythe method of the present invention need not be of textile fibers yalone but that they may be composed of synthetic resinous materialssuch as vinylidene chloride polymers and copolymers, cellulosederviatives, metals, or anyv suitable material which can be formed into threads, filaments, narrow bands, and the like. The braided fabric may be-composed of like filaments or of dissimilar filaments suchas for example, partly ofA filaments of synthetic resinous materials, and partly of wire, or of wire coated with cellulose derivatives or of other materials.

, For most purposes it is an advantage to use filahereinafter. It is pointed out'that in the specifit cation and appended claims the term lsimulated `woven fabric is intended to include fiat articles narrow enough to be described ordinarily as tapes 4or ribbons as well as those articles having sufficient width to be included under the com- ,monly used deflntion of the term fabric The present invention comprises braiding a tube in which the filaments cro'ss at an angle of substantially 90 to each other from filamentous material cna standard tube braiding machine and subsequently slitting the thus-produced braided tube along the path of one filament in the tube. In slitting a normally braided tube the slit is helical in` direction along the longitudinal axis of the tube. When the tube is slit in this 'manner from end to end throughout its length, or if it is slit thus throughout a part of its length and the slitl portion severed from the tube, a fabric'wi'll be produced which is substantially identical with that produced by simple weaving on a loom. The width of the\fabric that may be produced in this manner is dependments composed of the same materials, but it is apparent that filaments composed of di'erent materials can be used, when desired,l and that it may be of advantage to employ filaments made of different materials to produce` fabric having a special effect or fo)` a particular use.

For purposes ofvillustration and a better un derstanding of the method of the present invention reference is now had to the drawing wherein:

Figure `1 shows in diagrammatic form a portion of an open mesh braided tube Figure 2 illustrates the method of helically slitting the lbraided tube along the path of one filament; and,

Figure 3 shows a portion of the fabric after it has been pressed to remove the curl from ent upon the-diameter of the braided'tube from I which it is produced.

If desired, the so-formed fabric may bepassed between rolls or pressed between platesI or other- -wise treated to remove the curl from the helix and produce'a flat fabric. In the case of fabrics.

prepared from filaments made of thermoplastic materials a convenient method of removing the curl from the helix is to pass the fabricl between heated rolls which at the same time exert a slight pressure on the fabric. Fabrics prepared according to the method of the present invention from thermoplastic filaments may be prevented from fraying or unraveling' along the cut edges ylike monofils' which, when slit helically as previously described, will produce similarfabric having 16 monofils to the inch at the rate of about 3 square'feet per minute.

It also has been found that the method of the present invention is especially suited for producing open mesh fabric from monofils or threads -and more particularly for producing simulated woven' fabric suitable for screens, sie-ves, bolting cloth, nets, and the like.

The method of the present invention alsois of advantage for producing close woven fabric from narrow bands, tapes or ribbons.v Relatively Jlarge spools of such filaments canjreadily be placed without difdculty on the carriers of a standard'braiding machine whereas special bobbins and shuttles would be required to Weave .such filaments on a standard loom. Fabric produced from narrow bands or ribbons made-of synthetic resinous materials are particularly suited for `covering chair seats. o

"I'he following examples illustrate the practice ofthe invention but are not to be construed as limiting the-scope thereof.

Example 1 Filaments 0.020 inch in diameter were prepared from a composition comprising a copolymer consisting of about 90 per cent vinylidene chloride and correspondingly about per cent 20 vinyl chloride, plasticized with '7 per--cent by weight of Adi'(alpha.-phenyletlhyl) ether, based on the weight of the composition. The filaments were wound` on bobbins of a standard96- carrier tube braiding machine. The braiding 26 machine was adjusted to braid an open mesh tube 1.35 inches in diameter composedvof la- Aments laid down at an angle of to the Iongitudinal axis of the tubey and were spaced equally apart and numbered approximatelyl 30 filaments yper inch when measured at right y angles to one set of parallel filaments. The tube could be produced at a rate'of 1.06 feet of tube length pei minute or 63.6a1inear feet `of tube per hour; The 'braided tube was slit helically 35 throughoutnits length along the path of one of the nllaments. .The thus-produced helix was pressedby passing it between nickel-plated rolls heated to a temperature of 125 C. There was square feet of fabric; The fabric was substantially identical with that obtained by weaving v like filaments into a similar open mesh fabric on a loom. l V Y Example 2 Using like filaments to those described in Ex ample 1 yan 800 carrier tube braiding machine can be used to braid a tube 11,2 inches in diameter, in which the filaments cross 'at an angle of 90 to each other.l and are spaced equally apart and number 1 6 filaments per inch. The

Vtube canxbe braided at the rate of 1.06 linear feet per minutev or 63.6 feet per hour. When slit B8 along the path of one lamentra sheet `of fabric about 24.8 inches wide and 00 feetllog is produced. This corresponds to about 180 square feet of fabric per hour as compared to about square feet of `fabric per hour thatcan" be proim` duced yby weaving on a standard loom.

' Example 3 v 1 In a manner simmer to that described in mample 1 and using laments having, a diameter c5 of 0.020 inch a 3000 carrier tube braiding machine can be used to braid a'tube 42.2 inches in .diameter in which the filaments cross at an angle of 90 .to each other. The tube canbe braided at a rate of 1.06 linear feet per minute In or 63.6 feet per hour. When slit helically along one filament there is produced a sheet of fabric 93.5 inches wide and 9o feet 10mg. This eorresponda to -a rate of production of about '100 ,produced a fiat fabric 3 inches wide and 90 feet wV long. `Y This corresponds to approximately 22.5

l 'carrier tube braiding machine. The machine was adjusted to braid a tube in which -the bands werei laid down fiat vand crossed at an angle bf 90 to each other. The narrow bands were spaced close together and numbered 8 per inch when measured at right angles to onegseries of bands. The tube had a diameter of 2.1 inches and could `be braided at the rate of 2.1v lineas feet-iper minute or 126 feet per hour. helically throughout its length along the path of` one band and pressed to remove curl from the i helix. there was produced afabric 6 inch`es wide` and 178 'feet long. This ,corresponds to 89 square feet offabric. The fabric was suitable for covering chair seats.l v The above examples clearly show that simulated woven fabric having ajsimple weave can' be produced by the method of the presentginL `veintion at air-ate substantially faster than fabric can be produced by weaving like filamentous meterial on a loom. The rate at which' simulated woven fabric can be produced 'by the method of the present iiivention will vary depending upon the number of carriers on the braiding machine, the size andl shape ofthe diamants er threads lbeing braided, and the number of laments per inch'of fabric. While the invention has been described with particular reference to `certain embodimen utilizing vinylidene chloride copolymeric laments and a standard tubular braiding machine, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited thereto. It is apparent that the method may be equally as well applied to produce fabric from monofils of any, suitable shape or from threads, tapes or narrow'bands consist-A ing) oi' a. plurality of monoiils spun or' woven together. It is understoodthat the invention is susceptible of variations and that the invention is not to be construed-as limiting except as deiJ y irnedby-the following claims.

I therefore particularly point out and dis-I tinctly'claim as my invention: 1. The method of producing a simulate woven fabric atl ,'a faster rate than canv be obtained by weaving-on a loom which comprises j. braiding a tubeof` lam'entsin which the filaments cross at' an angle to each cther andslit ting said braided-tube parallel to thievpath of one filament in a helical diraection` alongiithe lon- Agitudinalaxis of the'braided tube. f 12. The method loi producing a` simulated lwoven fabric at a faster rate than caz be ob:

tained byweaving on. a` loom which comprises braiding a tube of laments in which the la.

ments cross at an angle substantially 90 to eachother, slittingsaid braidedtube parallel tothe path of one filament in a helical direction along the longitudinal axis of the braided'tube, and

pressing` the-thusformed fabric to remove the curl from the helix and form a. fiat fabric, saidV fabric being substantially identical with that produced by simple weaving on a loom;

\ V- AmENwHANsoN."

When slit v 

